A solar flare is expected to ignite a moderate geomagnetic storm across the planet Saturday, which can have impacts on satellites and the region’s power grid, but until late today the two federal agencies that monitor such space phenomena couldn’t agree about when and how severe the storm could be.

Officials from the NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration both issue alerts and forecasts when the sun releases a massive burst of solar wind and magnetic energy in the form of plasma, known as a coronal mass ejection, following a solar flare.

When a coronal mass ejection reaches Earth, it can alter the planet’s magnetic field, potentially causing a tremendous amount of energy to be redirected into the atmosphere that can interfere with electronic and radio systems.

But early today, the two agencies were a world apart on their predictions.

To NOAA, the flare was no big deal, a minor to moderate event that may produce dazzling Aurora Borealis as far south as the U.S.-Canadian border. NASA, on the other hand, was predicting a far more severe event, one that could potentially wreak havoc on the nation’s power grid and disrupt satellite communications across the globe.

"If we’re both thinking the same thing, it can be constructive. At times like this we’re not thinking the same thing so it’s a little bit awkward," said Joe Kunches, a forecaster at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center. "It can be a little confusing. The best scenario in the future is for us to have more of a complementary relationship."

The two agencies eventually agreed the situation was not likely to cause major problems. Nonetheless, utility companies and electrical grid operators were preparing.

"We’re not anticipating any major issues, but we are using some of our tools to actively monitor the situation," said Karen Johnson, a spokeswoman for PSE&G.

Though the solar storm isn’t likely to affect the lives of New Jersey residents, there is an outside chance it could produce a rare showing of Aurora Borealis, or the Northern Lights — a phenomena more common in Alaska and northern Canada — Saturday night or Sunday night.

"New Jersey’s a long shot, but I certainly can’t rule it out," Kunches said. "Auroras are a bit like fishing, there’s a lot bits and pieces that go into predicting them. But it’s not out of the question."